July 2014 $2.00
Publisher’s Notes
What’s Inside
As we head into our third edition, I want to thank all our advertisers for making this publication possible. I also want to salute all our readers, subscribers and communities that have embraced our dream and supplied us with photos, stories and a ton of great conversation. Tell our advertisers thanks and purchase locally. This month I have two new staffers to help me as this publication continues to grow. We want to welcome Tanya Holzer, Managing Editor of Libby, MT, and Mitizi Stonehocker, Field Editor of Thompson Falls, MT. Both ladies bring a lot of years of Montana life experiences and living the Montana dream. Read below to learn more about our two new staffers. Enjoy the summer but be safe and spend time with the family…hunting season is only two months away! Raf Viniard, Publisher Raf@montanawoodsnwater.com
406-407-0612
Managing Editor I have lived in Northwest Montana most of my life, and have enjoyed all it has to offer. A true country girl, I love everything from hiking and camping, to hunting, fishing, and just being outdoors. As the Managing Editor, I look forward to putting together an amazing magazine for our readers to enjoy each month. Don’t forget to check out our website at www.montanawoodsnwater.com, and like us on Facebook for exclusive online content and offers. Tanya Holzer, Managing Editor Tanya@montanawoodsnwater.com
406-291-6181
Field Editor I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana until age 9 when the family moved to Bigfork. I was brought up hunting and fishing. I have been married to the love of my life, Ron, for 40 years, raised a son and a daughter, have four granddaughters, and now reside in Thompson Falls, Montana. Writing has been a dream come true and I intend to bring a lot of Montana past, present and future to Montana Woods N Water magazine. As the Field Editor, it is my job to solicit from you, our readers and advertisers, what you want to read about. God is my Lord and Savior and He has given me a great life, and I give as much as I can back to Him. I am truly “Living the Montana Dream” . Marilyn “Mitzi” McDowell Stonehocker, Field Editor Mitzi@montanawoodsnwater.com 406-544-1868
Contact Us Montana Woods N Water 171 Clark Creek Loop Plains, MT 59859 406-407-0612 www.montanawoodsnwater.com
Hunting Local Celebrities Trapping Fishing Smoke Poles A Hunter’s Life Her Page From the Badges Sportsman’s Meds Outdoor Politics Hiking The Next Generation Outdoor Vets Camp Fire Talk Archery Talk Montana Dan Shooting Sports Classifieds/Events
2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 17 23 25 27 28 30 32
Staff Publisher: Raf Viniard Managing Editor: Tanya Holzer Field Editor: Mitzi Stonehocker Sales and Marketing: Director: Raf Viniard Thompson Falls/Lake County: Mitzi Stonehocker Troy & Libby Areas: Vacant Missoula: Vacant Kalispell: Vacant Pro Staff Writers/Photographers: Angela Gerych - Her Page Dan Helterline - Montana Dan Paul Fielder -Trapping Toby Bridges - Smoke Poles Toby Walrath - A Hunter’s Life Pastor Jim Sinclair - Sportsman's Meditations Zach Butcher - Archery Talk Montana Mitzi - Mitzi Stonehocker Contributing Photographers/Writers:Sam Martin, Senator Jennifer Fielder, Judy Woolley, Ruth Fenn Cover Photo taken and provided by Dr. Alan Marley, VMD. Taken at Hoodoo Pass, MT. Pictured: Jay Bailey of Superior, MT. Thumbnails courtesy of Ruth Fenn Photography.
For Advertising Rates: advertising@montanawoodsnwater.com Subscription Information subscribe@montanawoodsnwater.com
Subscribe today for only $20.00! e-Version $12 Subscribe online at www.montanawoodsnwater.com, or send check or money order to Montana Woods N Water 171 Clark Creek Loop Plains, MT 59859
By Raf Viniard I don’t know about you folks, but I am ready for hunting season to get here. Running this publication requires me to travel up and down the roads several days a month, from Plains, Libby, Kalispell and Missoula territories. I just love the smell of the fresh air, newly cut hayfields and the beauty of it all…I love my job. Yes, I am the slow poke running 55 miles an hour windshield scouting and day dreaming about hunting that ridge or drain...just pass me and let me keep dreaming about the upcoming fall hunting season. Being new to the area, I do not have the advantage of years of scouting game movement patterns and haven’t found that honey hole….yet. I have to rely on my own forty-five years of hunting experiences, information shared by those willing to impart a piece of hunting wisdom, or if I am lucky, a piece of advice where to hunt and when. Most hunter’s beaks are wired shut and will protect their honey hole like a momma grizzly protecting her cubs. I think I could get their bank account number before they would give up their hunting grounds and after walking these ridge backs I understand why. I purchased this new phone “app” called “Hunt by onX” that tells me whether the land I am passing is private or public and it doesn’t even require a
Hunting
cell signal. It tells me who owns the land and their address. All that is great, but there is so much public land available to us that it is a nicety, not a necessity. However, from an access point of view the information is very helpful and could save me miles of walking or driving by getting permission to cross private land. When we go hunting we are glassing and watching every shadow, crevice, and outcropping. Our vision and ability to see is one of our greatest tools as hunters. However, I have also found your ears and “active listening” is another tool we have that a lot folks do not use before laying down a lot of leather. Listening to others as they discuss areas they have hunted and their tactics can serve as a wealth of knowledge. I try to learn as much as I can from these seasoned Montana hunters…every tidbit of information can be combined to form a bigger picture and understanding of not only the game you are pursuing but how the game may be pushed by other hunters. When in a conversation with anyone over fifty that has lived and hunted here for years, I can’t soak up the advice and information fast enough. Not every ridge or drain holds game consistently. I have found the Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks are more than willing to impart with valuable information. Continued on page 32.
Local celebrities
Listen close, save the leather
Lucas Jones of Troy, MT was on his way to Missoula and decided to stop off west of Trout Creek and try his luck catching a pike on his fly rod. He loves trout fishing, tying and trying new flies and dreams of one day becoming a trout fishing guide.
Ashley Shaw of Libby, MT poses with her buck, taken Fall 2013. Although she’s not likely to divulge where she bagged this monster, she takes pride in knowing that she beat her dad by a mile in her family’s big buck contest!
2
Royal fur By Paul C. Fielder
The tiny ermine can claim the Royal Fur title. History is full of paintings of European kings, queens, czars, czarinas, and other high ranking royalty wearing white cloaks with black dots. The white cloaks are short-haired ermine furs and the black dots are the ermine’s tail tips. American Indians also often decorated their regalia with ermine skins. Ermine are the winter color, camouflage phase of shorttailed and long-tailed weasels. During summer, these same weasels are brown with creamy white throats and bellies. The black fur at the tip of the tail acts as a distractive “target” for predators to focus on and thus miss the main white body of the ermine as it darts about on the snow. The longest hair on an ermine is at the tip of the tail. Weasels are small members of the mustelid family which includes marten, fisher, wolverine, badger, mink, otter, and skunk. Mustelids have strong scent glands located in the anal area and weasels are among the smelliest. The weasel’s long skinny body allows it to enter burrows and runways seeking its preferred prey of mice and voles. If the weasel’s long, narrow head can enter a hole, the body can enter. Weasels are energy burning critters and seem to always be seeking food. They eat about 25% of their body weight daily and will even take rabbits and hares. They have the attitude of a tiny T-Rex. Ermine are easy to trap, skin, and stretch, and are great for youngsters starting to trap. They occur in brushy and grassy areas, along fence rows, brush piles, dense forests, and anywhere that mice and voles are abundant. Weasels return to the same dens and pick up fleas and mites, so put your catch in plastic bags with flea powder to extinguish these pests. Most ermine are caught in foothold traps that catch them around the body for quick kills. I prefer a 1 ½ longspring for good body catches. Although they can be caught in body-grip traps, ermine are small enough to usually avoid the trigger. My ermine trapping uses rectangular wooden boxes, just wide enough to accommodate a 1 ½ longspring trap when set. One end of the box has a 1 ½ inch hole near the top and the other end has a drywall screw protruding into the box near the top to stick a piece of beaver or muskrat meat on. The small hole keeps squirrels and other critters out. Putting the bait on a screw near the top keeps the meat from staining the white fur
Trapping
of a caught ermine. The box lids swivel sideways on a single top screw. I place the spring of the trap towards the entrance hole and the pan right under and in front of the bait. That makes the ermine stand on the pan to work the bait off the threaded screw. The catch is usually around the ermine’s body and the trap never seems moved. Sometimes I catch ermine in body grip (Conibear) traps set for marten on the vertical side of a tree. Weasels are good climbers. They seem to contact the trigger on this type of set while trying to work the bait. Ermine are easily skinned with a small, sharp knife. I snip off the front feet first. Ermine are skinned “cased”. Avoid the anal scent glands when skinning. Remove the tailbone by slitting part way down on the bottom side and pulling the bone out between your pinched thumb and forefinger. Split the tail with a VERY sharp knife, but be REAL careful to not break off the black tip. The very little bit of fat should be scraped off. Put the skins fur side in on the thinnest stretcher boards you can make and fasten the feet with push pins. Ermine pelts only bring about $1-$3 (depending on size) in today’s raw fur market,. They sell well at early American history events and rendezvous as decorations. And they’re fun to trap, especially for kids. Trap Placement Tip – When setting traps in a good location, make two or three sets at that location. You are already putting in the effort to get to, set, and check one trap there. If it’s a good enough spot to catch one of whatever you’re after, it’s good enough to catch two or three. Plus, you’ll increase your odds of having working traps when your targeted critter comes by. For example, you don’t want to have only one marten trap set at a location, and it’s holding an ermine or a squirrel while you’re looking at fresh marten tracks in the snow. Additional traps set at that location would have taken that marten too.
3
Taking a new approach By Sam Martin Summer is now in full session and for those of you who have yet to make the trip, there is no better time to wet a line in one of Northwest Montana’s diverse waters. But what will you fish for? Will you brave the bear patrolled streams to hunt for elusive Cutthroats or are you looking for a bucket full of perch to fill the dinner table? Perhaps though, you’re in it for the sport and want to hook into Montana’s fightin’ sport fish, the black bass. As a tournament bass fisherman myself I may be a tad bias when it comes to this subject, but as many of the residents of Regio 1 can attest, there are few things more fun than the relentless resistance of a hooked bass. But how does one catch this tenacious fish? How can the wily and often mysterious bass be tamed by the implements of mere mortals like us? I feel that before anyone can truly understand how to catch these finned devils in any lake they must first learn the basics. The black bass is of the sunfish species, making it akin to creatures like the Bluegill and Pumpkinseed. It also comes in two varieties in the local area, Largemouth and Smallmouth. The Largemouth is the more lethargic of the two, preferring to stay solitary in a good ambush position. The Smallmouth is a more aggressive hunter, moving in packs and never remaining in a select area for more than a day. Needless to say, both of these species need to be understood in order for them to be caught. Bass live in a variety of locations. Largemouth prefer the protection of shaded areas such as weed lines or laydown trees where they can lurk in waiting for passing prey. On the other hand, Smallmouth enjoy cruising around rip-rap banks and stone bluffs, specifically where the rock changes; for instance, where the shore changes from gravel to boulders. Both species want to be near depth changes, like the edge of a flat or a steep bank. It provides them with the instinctive protection they need. In the event of predators, they may rush
Fishing
to deeper haunts. Being that we are in summer I will keep this section rather brief. In short, bass, being cold blooded, want to be cool after the water peaks sixty degrees so they will congregate around areas with cover (shade) or places where cool water is readily accessible, like creek inflows and deeper water. The term “match the hatch” could be used to sum up this entire section. However I feel that this could require a little more context. Many people are often overwhelmed by the vast menagerie of lures available to today’s contemporary bass fisherman, but what most of these individuals don’t understand is that each lure has a purpose and is designed to replicate a certain type of forage. There are the rubber skirted jigs and plastic creature baits which perfectly mimic one of the bass’s favorite crustacean snacks, the crayfish. When bass bite a crank bait or a flashy spinner bait it is because it believes itself to be dining on a delectable minnow. You can see that the game is all about mimicry, utilizing the proper tool in the appropriate color to replicate the dominant food source of the resident bass and fool the fish into biting. Sometimes this takes a lot of tweaking but when you get it just right it’s like a dinner bell for the fish. So at last we return to the real question: how do you catch bass? Well, let’s take Noxon reservoir as a prime example and see if we can use the aforementioned logic train to help crack the fishing code. Where: Noxon has both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass in it. There is a large variety of habitat in the lake. This includes plenty of weeds and fallen timber to hold Largemouth as well as a vast array of rocky banks to suit the needs of the resident Smallmouth. The important thing to note is that there are many of these areas which do not have deeper water nearby and are less likely to hold fish.
Match the hatch. In regards to forage species there are many options to a bass that can be discovered by asking your local fisheries biologist or FWP Officer. To start it off, there is the flashing white of young pike minnows which can be mimicked with a white plug or small spinner bait. Dwarfing them in multitude is the schooling yellow perch, one of the Smallmouth’s favorite foods, who are often replicated with a fire-tiger crank bait or swim-bait. The most prolific food When: Summer time, meaning either source however is the crayfish which in or close by cool and deeper water. can be substituted perfectly with a green-pumpkin or watermelon colored bass jig.
As you can see, utilizing logic and a little research we have effectively narrowed down our search area and lure choice, effectively giving us more time on the water. And by no means is this limited to one impoundment. Far from it. This can be applied to any bass holding body of water in our lovely state. So sit down and do a little homework before you take your next fishing trip. You may just be surprised by how it can improve your catch.
4
"Minute of Whitetail" Muzzleloader Accuracy By Toby Bridges When the muzzleloading hunter takes the time to realize and understand all the things that can and will negatively effect the accuracy of a muzzle-loaded big game rifle, many also begin to realize that it is amazing that we can hit anything at all with any degree of consistency. Fortunately, many of the factors which do adversely affect muzzleloader accuracy are things we can do something about. Good loading practices are a must in order to obtain true 100-yard "minute-of-angle" (sub 1-inch) groups and accuracy. That begins with making the effort to find the combination of powder, bullet and source of ignition that performs well in a particular rifle - and that can mean doing a bit of experimenting with various components. But even then, once a great combination has been found, it's up to the shooter to insure the rifle is loaded exactly the same each and every time. Some powders have a relatively short shelf life once the can has been opened. Saving powder from one fall to the next can rob a hunter of accuracy, and maybe blow a chance at a nice buck or bull. Start every season with a fresh batch of powder. Also, some powders leave a great deal of residue or fouling in the bore, which must be wiped out between shots or accuracy can truly suffer. Likewise, when seating a bullet over the powder charge, it's important to do so with the same amount of seating pressure from shot to shot. Remember, any changes in how the rifle is loaded can affect where the bullet hits down range. In muzzleloading, consistency has its rewards - and it is generally better accuracy. Then, there are those "natural" factors which can just as adversely effect muzzleloader accuracy - which the shooter, or muzzleloading hunter, cannot really do anything about, other than maybe learn how to cope with them. Shooting in hot weather is one factor which likely does
Drastic changes in elevation can change the point of impact of a rifle and load - shooting at an elevation close to where you'll hunt will help you cope with that factor.
Smoke Poles
Learning to cope with the factors that negatively effect accuracy will keep the muzzleloading hunter shooting with the accuracy needed to consistently fill his or her tags.
more to destroy muzzleloader accuracy than any other "natural" factor. This is especially true when loading and shooting the modern plastic saboted bullets out of a modern in-line ignition rifle. When loaded into a hot barrel, say one that has already been loaded and shot several times on a hot 80 or 90 degree day, the polymer material that sabots are made from becomes far softer and less resilient than a sabot that's loaded with a bullet on days when the temperatures are below 50 degrees. When the weather turns very warm to hot, it is important to allow the rifle to cool, in the shade, for five or six minutes before reloading and taking the next shot. For best accuracy, that plastic sabot must tightly grip both the rifling of the bore and the bullet it holds. It quickly loses that ability when loaded into a barrel that is hot to the touch. Even if you've shot a lot in the warm weather off season, before hunting season always get out early on a cool morning and get in some range time with temperatures below 50 degrees - to know exactly how your rifle and load perform in the weather you are likely to experience during a hunt. Humidity can also affect the performance of the rifle and load. On rainy days, or when the relative humidity is above 80-percent - there's a lot of moisture in the air. That will slow bullet speed some, and in itself is not enough to cause a dramatic change in point of impact. Neither are changes in elevation. However, the higher one goes, the thinner the air - and muzzleloader bullets will tend to hit a bit higher at higher elevation. If you live and normally shoot at around 2,500 to 3,000 feet, and plan to hunt at 5,000 to 6,000 feet or higher, it is a good idea to get in some shooting time at that elevation. Today's modern in-line rifles and loads are exceptionally accurate. When everything has been perfectly matched, and the weather and temperature are ideal, these rifles are fully capable of shooting with the same degree of Continued on page 26.
5
while hunting with his father near Shelley, Idaho. Since harvesting his first deer at 14, Norman hasn't By Toby Walrath missed a season and doesn't plan to miss the next one When people ask 84 year old either. "I just enjoy Norman “Duke” Michell how he can go hunting. Getting isn't out and shoot animals he replies, “It’s important, it's the hunting." just like digging potatoes. You’ve got to He and his family harvest the crop!” Duke likes to camp moved to Montana from and enjoys a big bon fire with family. Idaho in 1957 and The walls in Duke’s home are decorated continued keeping bees. A with novelties representing his love of unique aspect of working the outdoors, like the .50 Caliber his family business was Norman stands alongside some of his trophies. Hawken muzzle loader serving as the dealing with bears. "I don't centerpiece for whitetail buck, mountain know what you know about bees and if you’re an outdoorsman, this really is goat and antelope shoulder mounts. bears, but we've killed a lot of bears. I the last best place." Next to a German Roe deer skull are old killed one that was seven feet one inch Norman’s passion for hunting has Charlie Russell paintings hung in long.” Bears frequented the honeybrought him to places like Alberta where celebration of one of the west’s greatest. filled hives through the years despite he shot a bull moose that measured 53 A handmade necklace created from electric fences. The Mitchells often inches. The guide brought him to a antler, bear claws, elk ivories and a trapped and hunted bears, then sold likely spot and began calling like a cow genuine stone point is displayed in a them to local taxidermists for fifty in heat. "He called this bull and he hallway next to awards for high quality dollars until the Fish and Game answered him. You could hear him honey and years of involvement in the department began requesting them. coming. He was raking his horns in the Boy Scouts. A vintage photo of Norman Now the Montana Fish Wildlife and brush, crashing and carrying on and he and his brother all dressed up for church Parks provides solar powered fences. came out about 25 yards away and the compliments a photo of honey bees and "With these new fences we hardly have guide yelled 'moose!' and he just melted flowers representing a different facet of any problems at all." away. I don't know where he went! I his life, "That's how we made our Some of Norman’s fondest missed that bull - the first shot at 25 living," he explained. memories are from hunts in yards. I couldn't believe it! The second Gardiner, Montana. "There used to shot why … he only took three steps. be a lot of elk that came out of That was pretty exciting." there but from what they tell me On a successful caribou hunt in now the wolves over there are Alaska, his favorite part of the trip was really hurting the population. I the solitude. "He flew us up there and don't think they did us any favors put us down on one of those ponds, by reintroducing the wolves." packed our stuff over there on the bank While he thinks the elk numbers and away he went. We were there 8 are going to continue to drop, he's days and saw one man. The phone certain there will continue to be never rang once!" plenty of good hunting On an adventure closer to home, opportunities. "I think there's a lot Duke was fishing in Rock Creek and more game animals now than when caught an impressive brown trout. He we first moved here. There's a lot didn’t have the money to pay a Norman and his brother nearly 50 years ago. more whitetails." Norman’s taxidermist to mount his trophy so he favorite game animal to hunt is the did it himself. “I read a hunting and While sitting under a 5-point whitetail. "They're smart. It's a fishing paper that used to come out whitetail mount sporting a 25 inch years ago,” he explained and with those challenge." spread, this third generation bee keeper instructions he carved a form from a Overall Norman thinks the shared his hunting life intertwined with piece of cottonwood and went to a Montana FWP has done a good job family, adventure and enjoyment of an taxidermist to purchase a glass fish eye. managing the State’s wildlife over the outdoor lifestyle. "We were in the bee As he preserved the skin with 20 mule years and enjoys opportunities such as business so we had plenty of time to team Borax his father and brother were the block management program and hunt." skeptical. After 35 years, that fish still additional tags when they help control Pheasants, ducks and sage hens hangs on his wall today. high numbers of game in certain areas. got Norman started as a young boy "They say this is the last best place, and
Duke
A Hunter’s Life
6
Duke continued... Norman has just one more game animal to add to his collection. "I'm still trying to get a sheep tag, I'm about to give up. I can't do much on the mountain anymore.” His wife once told him, “You get a sheep tag and you're going to die up there,” to which Duke replied, “What a way to go!" His fondest memories are of days spent with family. Story after story highlights the achievements of friends and relatives both past and present. He continues to pursue his hunting passion and shares his adventures with rare enthusiasm. Love and respect for nature and the wildlife we pursue are the roots of our hunting heritage. Duke Mitchell advises us all to, "Enjoy the outdoors and stay out in the mountains. Obey the rules and enjoy the wildlife." This advice will undoubtedly endure for generations to come and we are all blessed with the opportunity to carry the torch passed on to us by men like Norman “Duke” Mitchell.
Gearing up for camp By Angela Gerych During Montana's 2013 rifle season, I headed out to hunting camp for the week with a hunting crew that included Jason Maxwell, Randy & Coral Maxwell and Roan Ferguson. We were also later joined by Steven Strohmer. Every year I seem to learn something new during my 10-day stay at the wall tent during the last week of big game hunting season, and this year was no different. I managed to narrow down the plethora of things I learned to the top five and came up with this list: 1. Put a Comparison Object in Your Photo of Animal Tracks. I decided to take a picture of a particular set of bobcat tracks and showed them to one of the hunters I was camping with only to realize the track could easily be mistaken for a mountain lion track. You couldn’t tell how large or small the track was without something to compare it to. I know this is common sense, but sometimes you might just be caught up in taking the picture that you may forget to put something else in the picture to show the size of the track, so make it a point to remember. 2. If You Have Long Hair, Pull It Back. This one is for both women and men with long hair. Whether you’re brushing your teeth outside the tent or hiking up the mountain with your gun and pack, I suggest you put your hair back…or up…somehow. Obvious, right? I realized that keeping my hair back not only prevents hair pulling via the gun sling and pack straps, but it also kept it out of my face. I originally kept it down to cover my ears so my hearing wasn’t muffled by a hat, but having very long hair and leaving it down it only got in the way. 3. Pack Your Hunting Pack Accordingly. Yeah, yeah, I know-another “duh” thing, but don’t forget to check the little things! Before you go out hunting, you definitely want to go through your pack and get rid of everything you don’t/won’t need and keep it as light as you can. I didn’t touch my pack for about 5 months until September and found that I had a whitetail shed, some bowhunting gear, some old candy bar wrappers and my 2012 hunting tags in the front pocket. Being I already got my deer (you can read about it in the June issue), and I was out elk, wolf and coyote hunting, I lightened my load a little by sorting through necessities and non-essentials.
Archery deer & elk opens September 6th
4. Dead Animals Don’t Always Bring in the Predators/Scavengers Right Away. After Coral randomly came across a dead elk while hunting not too far from our camp, I was looking forward to keeping an eye on that area for wolves, coyotes and whatever else might be compelled to check out the animal. When she had found it, the elk was still fairly warm and you could still hold up its head and turn its neck, which meant it hadn’t died too long before then. Apparently, something had tried to take a chunk out of its hind end, as there was a big chunk of hair missing. I immediately got the coordinates for the location on my GPS and headed to the elk that evening. After a couple hours I decided to go back to camp just before sunset, with not even a bird finding the animal. I was up and at the elk around 7:15 the next morning, certain there would be tracks after at least 24 hours of the dead animal lying there. Nothing. Not even an animal had walked by it. The weather Continued on page 8.
Her Page
7
Continued from page 7... had been sunny and it was starting to smell, but still nothing had come near it. I headed back to camp thinking I’d grab a bite to eat and head back up there after checking out a different area. I arrived back at the elk just an hour and a half before sunset, and STILL nothing had gotten to it. The next time I made it out I knew for a fact there would be sign of animals, as I could now smell it from about 75 yards away. But upon my arrival, the only thing there had been onsite were the ravens. Not one mammal, other than me and another hunter in my group, had made its way to the elk. There are wolves and coyotes in the area, as we heard them quite often and their tracks were everywhere, but they never made it to the elk. Just because there is a dead animal doesn’t mean you will see animals on it within the first few days. Other meals could be keeping them away from the area. 5. Garmin Handheld GPS Devices Are Waterproof for at Least 30 Seconds. Yes, I did it. I was THAT girl, and as I was crossing a log, my balance went off kilter, and my GPS slipped right out of my pocket and into the icy creek below me. I watched in horror as it slipped right into the only opening on the ice underneath me and right into the moving water. It was completely under the water for at least 30 seconds before Steven, my hunting buddy, “saved its life”. When Steven spotted it and grabbed a hold of it, handing it to me, I immediately took the batteries out of it and took the back off of it. I left it at camp while we went back out hunting. Approximately two hours later, I put a new set of batteries in it and tested it. BAM! It worked. I used it for the rest of the season with no issues. I was thrilled the water did not destroy my GPS, and I am impressed with the overall performance of the Garmin Oregon 450. Just to clarify, I was aware these were marketed as “weatherproof”, but I wasn’t certain how well they would function after being submerged under water for some time. Thank you to Hunting GPS Maps for selling such a great quality item, and thank you so much to Steven for getting in that frigid water to save my GPS! I was a happy camper! (pardon the pun) I can only wonder what I will learn at Hunting Camp 2014.
From the Badges
New Warden in town
By Raf Viniard
Former Game Warden Tom Chianelli always tried to give honest people the benefit of the doubt and was not afraid to put the heat on poachers and crooks. Well, Tom is gone and the new warden and his partner are on the job. Yes, he has a partner. Game Warden Troy Hinck and his partner “Rouge” are a team. The first question most folks ask me is, “What is he like?” In my opinion, I believe you can expect a very similar approach as to how he does his job as the previous warden. As with any new assignment, it will take time for him to learn his new area and get settled in. The day I spoke with him he was still trying to close on his new home in the Thompson Falls area, but he and Rouge were geared up and ready to go. Rouge is trained to detect gun powder residue and blood. Rouge was a rescue animal and the bond between handler and man’s best friend is evident between the two. What Officer Hinck can’t see, Rouge can smell and alert his partner of his findings. They join us from Broadus, MT but Officer Hinck has not always been a warden. Before becoming a warden several years ago he was a game biologist and has done many studies on large mammal predator-prey interactions. He fully understands the wolf-elk dynamics. Before coming to Montana, Officer Hinck worked across the border in Idaho logging many man hours working on projects in the Frank Church Wilderness, Clearwater and St. Joe areas. He has worked on studies and projects from Lewiston to the Canadian border. His degree is from the University of Idaho and even as a young kid living in Cascade, ID, he always enjoyed working around the wardens and state biologists. His accomplishments are way too many to list here. I highly invite you to get to know him and you will see he is down to earth but very knowledgeable and professional. He is a hunter, trapper and fisherman as well, so he walks the walk and talks the talk. He said, “I enjoyed working my last assignment but I missed the mountains and the opportunities they provide. It feels good to be back in the mountains.” As to his style of being a warden, he summed it up this way. “I am very fair and consistent. I am here to enforce the spirit of the law but you will be prosecuted by the letter of the law. I will look at the situation, the circumstances and then determine our response. It is my job to be polite but professional…the people should expect it from their public servants. I think you will see Tom and I operate in a very similar manner.” Officer Hinck and Rouge may not have a military backgrounds but his wife carries that flag of honor as a Captain in the Army National Guard. We welcome Officer Hinck, his partner Rouge, and the Hinck family to Sanders County.
Hooked on Montana How many fish hooks can you find hidden in this publication? Search each advertiser to see how sharp your eyes are. You can find their locations by going to our web page at www.montanawoodsnwater.com and hitting the “Hooked On Montana” link. Keep your eyes peeled for these hooks, and good luck fishing today!
8
Meditation: Pass it along Being a grandparent and passing on your wisdom and experiences to your grandchildren can be a joy. It leaves one’s life filled with many wonderful memories. As my grandson Darren reluctantly took the pistol from my hand and pointed it toward the target, I gently echoed, “Point it toward the can…point it toward the can.” Since he is only seven years old, I echoed the many past conversations on the safe way of handling a gun. Because of a pistol’s short barrel there is a greater chance of not paying attention where the barrel is pointed. He is already using a BB gun and any other guns he gets a chance to shoot, but handling a pistol is a little different. We were recently on an ATV trip with some friends up around D creek. After riding for some time we stopped, had a snack, visited a bit, and then decided to let Darrin shoot my 22 pistol. My memory rushed back to when my Dad taught me how to hold, aim and fire. As the teacher, I constantly reminded him that this pistol can hurt, wound and even kill someone. Instinctively, I instructed him to always handle it in a safe manner and keep it pointed in a safe direction. As he squeezed off shot after shot I was surprised how quick he picked it all up. Being his Grandpa and one of his life teachers caries a lot of responsibility, Not because of “who he is” but because of “whose he is”. God gave him as well as the rest of my grandkids to me as gifts. Grandparents are not only responsible for them personally but have a responsibility to their maker. Once again I reflected on someone who wrote many years ago about the same things I was experiencing. His name was Solomon and he was the wisest man that ever lived, and will ever live. He said it this way. Train up a
Sportsman’s Meds
By Pastor Jim Sinclair
child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Another Solomon instruction was, Children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children is their father. (Proverbs 17:6) I give thanks to the King of Kings for my children, Darrin and my seven other grandkids, for the crowns and the crowns to come. Keep livin the life.
Medicine: Did you hear that? By Raf Viiard As a kid growing up on a farm and working with my Dad in the construction industry, I was exposed to all kinds of farm and heavy equipment, feed grinders, chainsaws, and other noise makers. I can’t count the thousands of rounds of my Dad’s ammo I wasted. I never thought twice about wearing hearing protection…the old adage was “Getr Done”. Who carried hearing protection in their pocket? The only thing I needed in my pocket was my pocket knife. I don’t think telling my Dad I needed to run back to the house to get my hearing protection would have gone over too well. Upon entering the military I was given a hearing test and passed with flying colors. I could hear a gnat land twenty yards away. Okay, maybe I exaggerated by a few yards. Being in Security Forces I worked around an assortment of military aircraft, and fired thousands of rounds from medium to heavy weapons. At about the young age of fifty, I noticed while hunting critters they seem to get a little closer undetected than before. I think they just learned how to walk quieter myself. Upon retiring from the military a gnat had to land on my face for me to know it was there. If you ask my better half she would tell you I am hard hearing…I call it “selective hearing” or I just blame it on the years of serving in the military. Either way, I get a pass from time to time using these excuses…of course after this article the gig is up. I don’t think “Huh” or sitting in silence staring at a good book will work anymore. In short, if you won’t protect your own ears at least protect the ears of your kids. Always wear hearing protection when operating equipment, shooting your guns, or if you need to let your ears rest from that “Honey, I need you to………”.
9
Public land priorities shaping up By Senator Jennifer Fielder (R), Montana State Senate - District 7 Montana’s study of federally managed public lands is set to wrap up within the next few weeks. Reducing catastrophic wildfire conditions, protecting multiple use access, and increasing economic productivity are the most serious priorities I see emerging from our effort. Most Montanans realize our land offers abundant natural resources and treasured outdoor recreation opportunities. Unfortunately, federal policies have steadily reduced public access, use, and management to a point that harms our communities and our environment.
Jennifer Fielder, November 2010
That’s why Montana’s 2013 legislature ranked federal public land management as our state’s number two overall study priority. I was appointed to chair the bi-partisan working group which volunteered their time over the
Outdoor Politics
past 10 months to gather extensive data and testimony from federal agents, county commissioners, other states, citizens, and experts from throughout the country. Transferring federally controlled public lands to state-based ownership and management is the topic that has attracted the most attention. It’s a big idea that is hard for some to grasp. But those who have done the homework realize transfer of public lands (TPL) is legal, economically feasible, and it would be highly beneficial to our state. It is simply a matter of learning how and amassing the political will to do it responsibly. For those who have questions, leading experts are available to give presentations about TPL in any community. Online information is available at www.americanlandscouncil.org. And information about SJ-15, Montana’s study of federal land management, can be found under the issues tab on my web site at www.jenniferfielder.us One thing that has become clear through this process is numerous communities, public land users, sportsmen, cattlemen, and industries throughout Montana and all of western America are experiencing unacceptable levels of access closures, economic depression, and declining -but preventable -- forest and range land health. Unfavorable federal policies,
relentless litigation aimed at obstructing resource management, and unwise budget priorities emanating from Washington DC are the root of the problems. I do not blame the agency staff who do their best to manage the resources. It’s not their fault we have lost key industries and inherited catastrophic level wildfire fuel loads that threaten our communities, our environment, our water sheds, utilities, and wildlife. Washington DC’s priorities just don’t match up with the realities of the rural west. Here are a few astounding results from Montana counties who participated in the state study: • Over 90% of the counties reported wildfire conditions on federally managed public lands pose a SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH and SAFETY in their counties. 96% believe current fuel loads on federally controlled public lands could result in SEVERE, UNCONTROLLABLE, OR CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES. • 68% said they desired MORE MULTIPLE USE ACCESS ROUTES on federally managed public lands. Only 19% reported an ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF MOTORIZED ROADS to accommodate emergency access, facility maintenance, public access, and resource management. Continued on page 26.
10
A love for hiking: Fresh air, fresh perspectives By Judy Woolley, Plains I love to hike. Well, sometimes, the hill is steep, or my boots pinch, or the sweat makes my clothing bind; but I love to see what is beyond the next rise and to explore new places. How about you? My husband and I recently took a ride to the lock gate on Eddy Creek with plans to hike four or five miles up the old logging road. It had been nearly 15 years since our last excursion there. Our very meager planning had not included the possibility of the creek running too fast and deep to cross, so we shortly had to head back to the gate where we saw a trail that headed in a southerly direction, uphill. The air was humid and the clouds gray with the promise of rain; the mosquitoes lit when given the chance. The air smelled sweet with the wild rose and thimbleberry blossoms, and was filled with the sound of the rushing cascades of snow melt and the space-like music, ascending song of the Townsend's Solitaire. We climbed an old skid chute still chock full of bark, and noticed the mix of dead and dying mature trees interspersed with younger saplings and deciduous shrubs. We noted delicate spider webs and delighted in the immense variety of springtime green grasses and wildflowers. My husband busily tested his new Garmin while I noticed the flowers: strawberry, honeysuckle, pipsissewa, saxifrages, lanceleaved stonecrop, twinflower, scarlet paintbrush, pinesap, penstemon, red clover, blue violets, larkspur, queen's cup and a dozen other flowers, some new to me and yet to be identified. We walked for hours and experienced that delicious feeling that we could have gone farther but a storm was threatening, and having been caught high on a ridge in a lightening storm in our younger years, we beat feet back to the rig. Several summers ago I drove a friend to
Hiking
the lookout on Pat's Knob where we planned to lunch after our brief snowball fight. For all her years in the region she had never viewed the valley from “above”. She was awed by the immense distances, the rivers, mountains and valley. Our plan of a leisurely lunch was quickly quashed when I spotted smoke across the Flathead River. Lacking a phone, we headed back to town, only to find it had just been reported. While my husband and I have walked or hiked thousands of miles together over the last 38 years, it has only been in the past six years that I've hiked with a small group of women who equally love the outdoors; better yet if a trail leads to a high lake for a refreshing dip, too! We've enjoyed walks to many of the betterknown destinations: Baldy Mountain from both sides, Eddy Peak, Goat Lakes, Cabin Lake, Tieshack Ridge, Hoodoo Pass, the River Trail, etc. We even “chartered” a boat ride (with the kind husband of one of the gals) to cross over to Wild Horse Island and spent a day hiking around, enjoying the terrain and the wildlife. Note: If you want to see some monster muleys, walk along the west side of the island! A couple weeks later saw four of us hiking to Turquoise Lake on the east side of the Mission Mountains. Ahh, the sweet memories of time spent outdoors. Has your view been limited to what you can see from the valley floor, or the highway? Purchase and study a Lolo National Forest Travel Map, pack a little food and water, some comfy boots and a backpack full of common sense and try out a few trails. Your senses will delight in the sights, sounds, smells, and the weather conditions. You will be filling your noggin with priceless memories, and you might experience a few adventures along the way.
11
Want to see your photograph on the cover of Montana Woods N Water magazine? Submit your photograph(s) to Tanya@montanawoodsnwater.com, subject ‘Cover’. Submission of photographs to Montana Woods N Water implies consent for use. No monies will be awarded or exchanged for use of any photograph submitted to, or used by, Montana Woods N Water magazine. Photographers selected will receive their choice of a complimentary 1-year subscription or embroidered Montana Woods N Water hat.
change to quarter page color (email for details)
Below: Sam Bradeen of Libby, MT spent the day hunting with her dad Mike before shooting her first buck with her .308.
Above: Buddy Doolin of Libby, MT waited patiently in the timber of his favorite hunting spot for nearly 45 minutes before making a great 100 yard shot and dropping his first buck in its tracks.
Ben, Paul and Senator Jennifer Fielder’s grandson, celebrated his 7th birthday at his family’s fur camp set up at the Wildhorse Rendezvous Memorial Day weekend.
The Next Generation
Alexis, granddaughter of Dan Helterline (Montana Dan), poses with the day’s catch.
Sadie Stephens, 2 year old daughter of Kate and Brian Stephens, proudly shows off her fish.
19
Sanders County Chapter RMEF Banquet “Spike Camp” Theme October 11, 2014 6:00pm Lakeside Motel & Resort Trout Creek, MT - Sanders County Pre-banquet activities being planned. Call for details. For more information, please call: Banquet Host: John Harris, 406-827-4458 Chapter Chair: Raf Viniard, 406-407-0612 Chapter Co-chair: Sam Burt, 406-827-4738 EVENT PROCEEDS BENEFIT ELK, OTHER WILDLIFE, THEIR HABITAT AND OUR HUNTING HERITAGE.
Arnie Richards Born in Bluefield, WV, Arnie moved to Plains, MT in 2006 after falling in love with some property in Plains while visiting his friend Frank Cooney. He built a home on that property, and still lives there today. Arnie served in the US Air Force from 1960-1964, as an A1C, Aircraft Painter. He separated in September 1964 and became an Air Reserve Technician (ART) as an Air Frame Fabricator. Arnie served on various aircraft during his career such as C119, C47, F102s, T33, helicopters, etc. Arnie’s career was mostly painting things like, planes, trucks, ships, autos, residential and high end commercial properties. Arnie would be considered a Master Professional Painter. Whether it is an old desk or a tractor trailer rig, Arnie know his paints and the techniques used to make the job first class. Today, Arnie is semi-retired. His favorite game to hunt is big game. As you walk through Arnie’s living room his walls are decorated with some very impressive mule deer. One monster Muley scored 197 Boone and Crocket. Arnie is not a lone wolf hunter. Instead, he prefers hunting with a partner. He currently hunts with a 280 but has mostly hunted with a 300 mag. Arnie stated, “I hate to hunt with the same rifle that I hunted with last year.” Arnie loves to shoot and tweak rifles to enhance their performance. One of Arnie’s greatest skills he has acquired over the years is his marksmanship abilities. His love for ballistics and a t h o r o u g h understanding of firearm nomenclature and what it takes to get the most out of rifle is from years of research, reloading and testing. Arnie’s advice to the next generation; “The younger people will find it more crowded and they will have to put more into it than we did. Game is not as plentiful, it is more physical and the equipment is getting more technical.” Thanks Arnie for your years of service to our country.
Outdoor Vets
Terry Andreessen Terry was born in Waterloo, Iowa. He moved to Montana in 1979 to work in the car business and enjoy all the outdoor opportunities Montana had to offer, such as hunting, hiking, and fishing. Terry currently resides in Libby, Montana and is still working in the auto industry as the owner of Timberline Auto Center. Terry served in the US Army for two years (1968-1969) as an infantryman during the Vietnam conflict. His job was real, but by no means simple…search and destroy the enemy. Only those that saw combat and served during that time can truly relate to the sacrifices our service Terry with his great-nephew, Bransen members made. His favorite game to hunt is big bull elk. Terry has honed his skills chasing big elk and is very good at it. He was an outfitter and guide for nine years. He has guided and hunted in Alaska and hunted elk in Mongolia. He attributes most of his success to being a lone hunter. He enjoys back country hunting trips with horses, and over the years has shot 38 elk, 26 of which were six points or bigger. He not only knows his way around the mountains but on the water as well. Terry’s favorite lure is a Caddis Fly. His caliber and weapon of choice really depends on the game he is pursuing. He has used everything from a 22 to a 50 caliber, but his favorite gun is his Remington 300. When asked what his advice is for the next generation of outdoorsmen, Terry stated, “Protect your rights as an outdoorsman against the ever intrusive government agencies and extreme environmentalist.” Terry is a very proud, patriotic American. He said, “The men I fought with in Vietnam will be with me until I die. God has blessed me!” Terry, we salute you for your service and will never forget your sacrifices and those that served with you.
23
Old Cabin Wrecker Written by Lloyd E. McDowell Edited by Marilyn McDowell
Continued from the June edition… Anyway, the bears luck ran out. As my partner and I were riding out that day we rounded a curve in the Photo of original sketch. trail about ¾ of the way up the divide. I was out front leading a pack horse. Coming down the hill above the Today’s MFWP logo. trail a huge silver tip bear stopped about 75 feet in front of me. I could see the hairs on his hump as they raised up. I think mine did too! I was riding a horse that didn’t like anything around his head so I knew I had to get off him. The bear seemed ready to charge as I hit the ground, taking my 270 rifle from the gun scabbard. I fired and the 130 grain slug entered the bears shoulder, breaking it. He let out a loud roar and lunged forward toward me, but rolled sideways off the trail. I quickly reloaded and followed him down the rough mountainside through heavy brush and few trees. When I caught up to him he was going in circles and clawing everything in sight! Due to his rapid movement, it took 3 more shots before I got in a fatal one to the base of his skull. With all the racket going on, my partner wasn’t sure who was winning and was very relieved to have me holler to tie up the string and come help me skin the beast out. We left the head and paws un-skinned, and commented on the unusual curved jaw this bear had. We also discovered the missing claw and the paw that was cut. At this time we figured we had the “rogue bear” that had been doing all the damage in the area. After hauling the hide up to the string we pondered which horse to load him on. A friend, Bob Cooney, had lent us a real gentle mare to use as an extra riding mount. We figured she was the best candidate. The head of the bear dropped off one side and the feet hung over the other. Well, that old horse had other ideas than to pack out that bear! She wanted to take off for home right away, all thoughts of being a slow walker went out the door and we finally had to cut a pole and tie to the lead to keep her back! When we reached camp my gentle 1200 pound riding horse that I had left behind to rest up in the Hellroaring pasture was sure he didn’t want me near him. I didn’t realize it, but I must of smelled like the grizzly and that ol’ horse wanted no part of me. I had to take a COLD bath in the creek at camp and wash my clothes before he would let me catch and saddle him! Even then he wasn’t sure he wanted me near. When we got back to town I made a plaster mold of the bear’s feet before we sent him to the taxidermist in Livingston. He sent the bear to Jonas Brothers for mounting into a rug. The bear was hung in my office and our draftsman, Hector LaCass, made a sketch of him. I have sent a copy of the original drawing to my daughter and notice how the curved jaw really shows up. As the Fish & Game was looking for a picture to use for the Game warden’s patch, this was thought to be a good idea. It was later used for the State emblem. You can look at any letterhead and see this bear with the curved jaw. The bear has always hung on the wall of each of my homes. I gave the bear to my daughter Marilyn two years ago to keep in the family. She has full ownership and will keep the story alive. At the time I shot the bear I never realized how far it would go, I only feared of an attack.
Campfire Talk
25
Please support our advertisers Large Business Card Ad Only $30.00 Small Business Card Ad Only $20.00
Keep archery alive By Zach Butcher
Summer is finally here and most of the big game special permit draws are out. As usual I didn’t draw a thing, but congratulations to those of you that drew that coveted tag! For those of you that did draw, I hope you’ve got your bow out and all tuned up and ready for the upcoming season. Even if you’re holding out for the “Booner”, archery season is a great time to get out and scout for “Mr. Big”, and who knows, you just might get that “Booner” with stick and string. Speaking of stick and string, how many of you started your archery carreer with an old stick, some string and homemade arrows? I know as a kid I had some of those homemade contraptions; they were fun at first, but it didn’t take long to get frustrated with not being able to hit the broadside of barn. There are a wide variety of youth bows on the market today that will fit just about every shape and size of kid out there. In my opinion, shooting bows is one of the best family activities out there. Not only is it fun, but archery teaches kids about responsibility, accountability, ethics and much more. So let’s take a look at some of the awesome new youth bows on the market. Hoyt Bows: Hoyt offers three bows for the first time archer, starting with the Ruckus Jr. and the Ruckus. The Ruckus Jr. is a package-only bow that comes set up and ready to shoot. Its big brother, the Ruckus, comes bare or with a package. Draw weight ranges from 9 – 29lbs. on the Ruckus Jr. and 9 – 37 lbs or 12 – 46lbs on the Ruckus. The draw length on both bows starts at 15” and goes to 27”, the Ruckus Junior retails for $199.00 and is a great bow. The Ruckus retails for $399.00 with the package. The Ignite is Hoyt’s newest youth
Archery Talk
bow and is adjustable from 15 – 70lbs and 19 - 30” of draw length. This is a great bow for that young teen that never seems to stop growing and retails for $399.00. BowTech Bows: BowTech introduced a brand new bow this year for youth and young adults. The Fuel is a binary cam bow with lots of adjustment. The draw length ranges from 18 – 30” and has a draw weight range of 14 – 70lbs. What is most impressive about this bow is the speed; it has the capability to launch an arrow at speeds up to 320fps. For a youth bow, that’s blazing fast. The Fuel fully accessorized retails for $499.00. Diamond Bows: The youth bow in the Diamond line is the Infinite Edge. This bow is incredible with a draw length range of 13 – 30” and a weight range of 5 – 70lbs. There’s hardly anyone out there that this bow won’t fit. With a shooting package it retails for only $399.00 - A bargain! Mission Bows by Mathews: Mission offers 4 youth bows starting with the Menace. The Menace is the lightest of the Mission bows coming in at 2.95lbs and is adjustable from 16 - 52lbs, has a 17 - 30” draw length, and retails for around $269.00. This bow is great for young archers starting out. The Craze is a step up from the Menace and offers more draw weight, retailing for $299.00. Next up is the Riot and offers the same draw length and weight adjustments as the Craze but has a 31” ATA, making it 3” longer than the Craze and is pushing an Ibo speed of 310fps. This bow is a little faster, but has a retail price of $399.00. The last bow in the Mission line is the Rally with a long ATA of 37”, making it a great bow for a teenager or an adult. The draw weight ranges from 26 – 70lbs and the draw length is adjustable from 22 – 30”. What sets this bow apart from the rest of the Mission bows is that the draw length is adjustable in ½” increments instead of 1” increments. The Rally retails for $499.00. The best thing about these newer youth bows is the adjustability. You no longer have to buy extra cams or limbs every time you need to lengthen the draw or increase the draw weight. In fact, most of these bows will properly fit adults. I know initially the price tag scares a lot of you. But if you look at it as you only have to buy one bow until the kids are old enough to buy their own, then suddenly the price tag doesn’t look so bad. So let’s continue to further the sport and tradition of archery. Get your son, daughter or grandkids a bow and let them experience the fun of archery. If you have any questions about any of these bows, please give me a call at 406-826-0600, or stop by the shop. The new hours for the Trophy Taker Pro Shop are 10:00am to 6:00pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Noon to 8:00pm Tuesday and Thursday, and closed Saturday and Sunday.
27
Hunting Africa on a blue collar budget Part 2 By Dan Helterline was able to successfully harvest a buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, impala, warthog, three zebras, two wildebeest, a jackal, and shoot Guinea fowl and partridge with my shotgun on the last day. Most countries allow you to bring two guns and ammo. Zimbabwe was definitely more difficult to bring my guns and ammo into than Namibia, but it was still doable. I was unsuccessful getting a leopard, although we had several hitting the baits and I got a glimpse of two separate leopards during the day while hunting. I figured this would just be a good excuse to come back, right? On the way back to camp after shooting my giraffe, which is a whole story alone and probably exceeded the buffalo portion of the hunt for excitement, John told me about shooting giraffes for meat during the war to gain Zimbabwe's independence. He was helping supply the Zimbabwean army with meat using his 22-250. When I asked him what it was like to head shoot a giraffe, he simply said in his thick English I hope you enjoyed last month’s Nambia, Africa hunting accent, "It is very dramatic, they fall like a tree!" John Sharp adventure. This month we will finish the adventure of turned out to be a man with no equal and just being able to hunt “Hunting Africa The Dark Continent”. While hunting plains game is definitely the most affordable hunt in Africa, hunting buffalo is not. Any time dangerous game is added to the list the cost goes up dramatically; daily fees went from $180 a day for plains game to a minimum of $750-$1000 for a buffalo hunt! After doing some in depth research, I found that Zimbabwe had the most affordable buffalo hunting and had some areas that produced good trophies. I also discovered that John Sharp is nothing short of legendary in Zimbabwe hunting circles and operated on a concession with good buffalo and a huge variety of plains game. This was where and who I wanted to hunt with. I figured out the maximum I could save each month and how long it would take to get close to the cost of the hunt, and set that date as my goal. That date happened to be my ten year wedding anniversary so I used the ruse of a romantic trip to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls as a pitch to get spousal support. with him was worth the trip alone. All the trophies have to be left Most African hunts are physically somewhat easy and usually in the hands of your outfitter so they can be treated and the weather and camps are very nice making them a great place processed before they are ready to ship to the USA. This is pretty to take a spouse. I also planned on using some money I had standard in all countries and I would recommend hiring an saved for retirement to help finance the hunt. Several people export broker to help with the process of getting everything told me this was foolish, but in hindsight I don't regret it a bit home safely. Horns and treated hides are the only thing allowed and those same people have never went buffalo hunting. There to leave Africa, all the meat must be left behind and is distributed is something about hearing lions moan in the distance as the by the land owner. Nothing is wasted, and in most cases feeds sun is just starting to warm the African bush. While you follow many needy people. Although it was not required, my wife and I the trackers in silence, they work out the trail of several "dugga got Malaria shots as a precaution before we went to Zimbabwe. boys" that have left a water hole. Watching the trackers I still remember being in my mentor’s taxidermy shop communicate in their non-verbal language is simply amazing admiring some of the fine African pieces he had mounted. As he and you realize that this experience is priceless! was working on a kudu I told him, "Man I would love to be able My hunt to Zimbabwe took place on the Bubye River to hunt Africa", he just looked at me and said, "You will". How Conservancy, one million acres managed for nothing but right he was! One of my favorite quotes that has stuck with me is hunting. The game on this concession was managed on a strict by the accomplished Jack Atcheson. "Hunt hard while you quota. To get the hunt that I wanted I had to commit and book physically can. Time and big bulls wait for no one!" So quit the hunt two years in advance. Although Cape Buffalo was the dreaming and start saving. Africa is within your reach! Next primary species sought, it was a buffalo/leopard hunt with a month; how to plan and execute a do-it-yourself self-guided multitude of plains game also available. In 14 days of hunting I moose hunt in Alaska.
Montana Dan
28
Muzzleloader Accuracy continued from page 5... accuracy as a quality center-fire rifle at 100 yards - or even a bit farther. Three shot groups measuring 1 to 1 1/2-inches are common. However, when shooting on a 90+ degree day with near 90-percent humidity, and especially if shooting old powder loaded into a heavily fouled bore, that same rifle may not keep hits within a foot of one another. It is a combination of these negative factors which really destroys accuracy - making you wish you had stayed home. When faced with one or two of the "natural" factors, if the shooter has taken time to allow the rifle to cool between shots, knows that on a very damp day the load may print 1 or 2 inches lower, or at higher elevation may shoot 1 or 2 inches higher than normal - with a quality in-line rifle, top performing modern black powder substitute, and a properly matched bullet and sabot - in just about any weather or at any huntable elevation, every shot should be capable of maintaining "minute-ofwhitetail" accuracy at typical muzzleloader hunting ranges. Outdoor Politics continued from page 9... • •
•
•
No counties wanted to see a decrease in multiple use access routes, yet federal agencies consistently implement plans to reduce multiple use access. 58% of Montana counties said AIR QUALITY FALLS BELOW ACCEPTABLE HEALTH STANDARDS due to wildfires originating on federally managed public lands. 64% said federal land management DIMINISHES WATER YIELD for their citizens. Over 90% said payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) is less than actual taxation would bring. Economic analysis in other states shows federal PILT payments have been reduced to as little as 13% of what they should be. 75% said federal land management activities ARE NOT consistent with their county’s objectives.
So how do we turn it around? Western states have the ability to reduce wildfire fuel loads, protect access, and restore economic activity. We have the science and technology to generate positive revenues while optimizing the health of our forests, range lands, wildlife, air, and water. We simply need to put policies in place at the local, state, and national level that allow us to do so. There are a number of ways we can bring about land management improvements to enhance our environment, improve our economy, and benefit our citizens. I encourage anyone who is sincere about advancing tangible solutions to work with me. I can be reached at sen.jfielder@legmt.gov or 406 210 5944.
Sig says check out our full line of camping supplies, coolers, and river tubes!
Aaron Brown’s lucky charm
News from the Plains Trap Club
By Raf Viniard
By Jim Foster
Aaron Brown, age 26, a native of Thompson Falls, MT smoked one hundred straight targets during the Tom Kunzer Memorial Firecracker “600”. Over fifty shooters showed up at the Plains Trap Club to heat up their barrels and splatter some clay targets. The smell of burnt gun powder drifted in the air as shot after shot resonated loud and clear. During this two day shoot thousands of clay targets return to the earth from where they began and Aaron made sure he did his part. Aaron attributes his good luck to his girlfriend, Lynn Roper of Thompson Falls. He says, “I bring her along because she always brings me good luck…she is my good luck charm.” Aaron just started his trap shooting career back in November and shot his first ATA shoot in March. He definitely showed some of the more experienced shooters he is ready to compete. He had shot trap back during his high school years but never really took it serious. Now days, Aaron is very serious about winning and he even has his own cheerleader to root him on. As Aaron raised his Browning BT99 from station to station the orange clay targets could not escape his reach. Saturday, Aaron shot 100 in the Singles, 88 in the Handicap and 92 in Doubles. Sunday he continued his clay busting success with a 99 in the Singles, 94 in the Handicap and 92 in Doubles. By day Aaron is a logger, but work often gets in the way of his outdoor passions. When he does get time off he enjoys golfing, fishing, waterfowl hunting, elk and trophy deer hunting. He hasn’t taken up bow hunting yet. Krys George of Rathdrum, Idaho, a AA shooter, shot 100 out of 100 in the Singles event on Saturday and followed up Sunday with a 99 out of 100. The lady shooters kept the heat on the guys both days. Overall the shoot was a huge success and according to Don Kunzer, “Our volunteers play such an important role in making these events happen. We have a great time and everyone pulls together to make it happen.”
Shooting Sports
The Tom Kunzer Memorial Firecracker was held June 21 & 22, with about 60 shooters from around Montana, Washington, Idaho, & Canada. With perfect weather conditions, some excellent scores were posted - four 100 straights and lots of scores in the high 90's. Ed Goodian of Box Elder, MT was our high overall shooter hitting 573 out of 600. We will be shooting Thursday evenings @ 6:00 PM and Sunday evenings @ 2:00 PM. The shooting range is open daylight hours only. As a reminder, the Bruce Fry Memorial ATA shoot will be held Aug. 2 & 3 at the Plains Trap Club.
30
Carpe Diem A little play on words with the title, but according to Webster’s dictionary carpe diem means ‘the enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future’...and that I did. The skies were cloudy but clearing, and the clock on my dashboard agreed with the growling in my stomach. I had heard from a friend of mine that the carp along the shoreline of the numerous small bays and inlets of Canyon Ferry lake were making the water boil. The day after the annual Carp Safari held in early June by the Montana Bowhunter’s Association, Marlon Clapham and his family each shot over 100 fish with their archery equipment. Marlon got so tired from shooting carp that he could hardly pull his bow back any more. The chance to shoot carp that weigh up to twenty pounds and filling a barrel full of winter bait for my trap line sounded good to me. I just hoped I’d have the same luck. The first three bays I checked out were duds and I began to worry. I drove past a few campgrounds and pulled over on occasion to glass for spawning fish. The sandy shores didn’t seem to be holding much of anything so I turned my focus to a shallow bay with weeds. As my pickup raised a dust cloud behind me, my anticipation raised up too. I don’t know much about aquatic vegetation, but this bay had plenty and if there were no carp in this one I was going to call it a bust. As I stepped up to the shoreline the water looked like it was boiling, literally. Carp fins emerged, submerged, swirled and danced as the big fish vied for a prime spawning location. I changed into shorts and sandals and grabbed by recurve bow fitted with a bow fishing reel canister and a fiber glass arrow tipped with a gar point. I knew that when conditions are right and the carp are spawning the action can be non-stop, but this was unbelievable!
The first minute after my feet crunched the rocky edge of this carp Utopia, I was at full draw and two seconds later the first arrow flew. My line tightened and the green knock wobbled just above the surface as the line from my canister dumped freely. A squeeze on the break and a couple quick turns of my reel let me know the 6 pound carp wasn’t going anywhere. In about a minute I
By Toby Walrath
had the big fish landed and turned the gar point downward and shook it off. As I walked along the shoreline carp darted out of the weeds just beneath my feet startling me momentarily as the muddy water rolled.
Arrow after arrow and fish after fish the action never slowed, and I had to remind myself to focus on one fish at a time; reminiscent of staring down a shotgun barrel at a flock of ducks. “Pick one, pick one…” I reminded myself. I get distracted easy enough and I’ve never been able to focus when given too many options. This was about as much fun as I could stand. With limited time I headed back to my truck with a stringer of 10 carp averaging about 6 pounds each. A perfect amount to chunk up and pack into glass jars for sun rendering fish oil for my winter trap line. There are recipes for carp and I know a few people who eat them but sun rendered fish oil seems more useful to me, especially with so many walleye and trout available in the same waters! When the conditions are right the bow fishing action can be non-stop, and bow fishing opportunities on Canyon Ferry Lake are best from early June through July. The access is easy and there are campgrounds all along the east shore. A conservation stamp and a fishing license will solidify your privilege to pull as many large scaled breeders up on the rocks as you can handle. But be careful. It’s almost more fun than you can stand! I know I usually write about our aging hunters, but I am not getting any younger. So, I went and seized the day!
Save the leather continued from page 2... Couple that with US Forest Service contacts, and you are well on your way to better hunting. As a former law enforcement person I thought I had pretty good questioning skills, but as I found out during bear season, I have lost my edge. My neighbor took pity on me and shared where he was seeing some bears. He is a very successful hunter and so I was all ears. I got so excited about what he was sharing I ASSUMED I knew the exact area and where he was telling me to go. On both occasions I parked the truck, geared up, and struck out…walking steep terrain does not bother me…until the next day. I should have ask a few more pointed questions and pulled my map out because I logged over 18 boot miles and no bear. Come to find out, those little details could have saved me a lot of boot leather and instead of this article I would be writing about my first successful Montana bear hunt. As he reads this I am sure he is laughing a little and thinking ‘what a green horn southern boy…he’ll learn’. I want to thank those that took the time to share their hunting stories, love of the outdoors, and coached and mentored me on how to hunt beautiful, Northwest Montana. The August edition means we are almost there. Get those bows tuned up.
The Montana Woods N Water staff welcome Dr. Hopkins to Wild Horse Plains! Hello Montana! What a beautiful place to live. My name is Dr. Rebecca Hopkins and I have recently moved to Plains after graduating from veterinary school in Kansas. I’ve joined the staff at the Lynch Creek Animal Clinic where I will be doctoring animals large and small, from your Clydesdale to your Yorkipoo. I grew up on a small dairy farm in Pennsylvania where my uncle, Dr. Marley, always did our vet work. Watching him work was where my love for the veterinary profession was inspired. Furthermore, it led me to spend 8 dutiful years pursuing my passion through schooling before following Dr. Marley to Montana. So, what will I do now that I’m out here? Well, I plan to learn more about veterinary medicine, but I think I’ll also try to pursue some of my other hobbies including hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking. Big Sky Country here I come! ~Rebecca Hopkins, DVM
Classifieds Got something you would like to buy, sell, trade or barter?
For Sale
Montana Woods N Water Sales & Customer Service Reps Needed
Crescent Arms Peerless, Side by Side, 12ga - $325 LeFever Side by Side, 12ga - $325 Meriden Side by Side, 12ga - $400 Parker Side by Side, 12ga - $650 303 Mark III British Enfield (a little rough) - $300
Love talking to folks about hunting, fishing and trapping? Need to make some extra cash? Positions open in Kalispell, Missoula, Libby, Eureka, Superior, and Lolo areas.
Call 406-826-7655
Contact us at Raf@montanawoodsnwater.com
List it here for as low as $10.00!
Events/Happenings List your event or happening here for as low as $10.00 July 9 11-12 11-13 13 25-27 26-27 Fridays
Trout Creek Farmers Market - Every Wednesday through September 24, from 4-6pm 5th Annual Hot Springs Blues Festival – Symes Hotel, $20 admission, Contact 406-741-2361 50th Anniversary. of the Wilderness Act – Bull Lake Rod & Gun Club – 1508 Kaniksu Ave. Libby 3rd Annual Big Sky Bash – JNeils Pk Libby, Starts 6 pm, Tickets@www.donatecardfoundation.org Wild Coyote Days – 713 Prospect Creek Rd. Thompson Falls. Contact Karen 406-827-7867 Tri-State Bass Tournament - Trout Creek/Noxon, MT Troy Farmers Market - 3:30-6pm - June through September
August 8-10 10-11 Fridays
35th Annual Huckleberry Festival - 5PM Friday through 4PM Sunday at Trout Creek, MT in the park Riverfront Blues Festival – Riverfront Park, Libby. www.riverfrontbluesfestival.com Troy Farmers Market - 3:30-6pm
September Fridays
Troy Farmers Market - 3:30-6pm
October 11
RMEF Banquet - Lakeside Motel and Resort, Trout Creek, MT. Call 406-407-0612 for more information.
Classifieds & Events
32